The work of the Go master

Moreover... who knows, these hot-blooded young people might just enjoy encountering danger and seeking thrills?

Just then, An Yong rushed into the training hall anxiously: "Everyone, that thing... it's going to be held, it's really going to be held!"

"What? You mean that? Could it be that? Is it really that?" Narita also showed a look of horror.

"That's right, that's it!"

"What is that?!" Two groups were completely baffled by this series of riddles.

"Dream Paradise Title Battle!"

The television in the center of the Go academy was turned on, broadcasting the latest news on the Dream Paradise title match.

Upon seeing the information about the event, everyone present was astonished and crowded around, as if they had entered the timeline of "The Storm Is Really on Fire".

"Damn it, now we can't play!" someone jokingly pounded their chest in frustration.

But when they saw the total prize money displayed below, these people instantly lost their composure.

The champion will receive 4500 million yen!

"Really? 4500 million?! I thought such an unreliable competition would only be worth 450 million at most..."

"The prize money distribution ranking has been as high as 16th place, with the lowest consolation prize being 80 yuan, which is already enough. Let's go for it!"

A new wave of enthusiasm was ignited, and even the second-dan group members, who were unlikely to have any chance of participating in this competition, became excited, feeling that this was the bright future of the Go world and that they had made the right choice in choosing the path of Go.

As for the mystical sayings about not playing chess at night, of course we don't care.

After the initial excitement subsided, everyone immediately got into training mode. Those who had been slacking off by the water dispenser just moments before suddenly switched personalities and sat down at the chessboard with renewed vigor.

"We can't lose to our seniors, let's go!" The newly promoted players also sat down.

Looking at the crowd around him who had suddenly been mobilized in reverse, Ke Zhiguang suddenly understood why the Dream Paradise Cup, which had been in a Schrödinger's cat state, was finally going to start at this point in time.

The decision-making power of Yagami Kunikyo and the crisis of last night seem to be connected.

The beginning of dusk has arrived.

"Then we have nothing more to say. Let's prepare seriously for the final battle in four months." Ke Zhiguang turned around and said to his companions who were still following behind him.

Harujima, Hoshigami, Hoshia, and Yamaoka are the core members.

Gas pedal, accelerate!

Chapter Ten: Dusk Descends on the Earth

Time suddenly seemed to speed up, and light and shadow shifted and changed angles in Tokyo as if evaporating, a magnificent spectacle that never ended.

On August 12th, chess pieces, bathed in the light, were placed onto the chessboard, each piece reflecting a face deep in thought.

"Please play against me, Senior Ooki!"

“Senior An Yongxin, I am your opponent this round.”

"Tamaki, let's play a game together."

The pace of work at the chess academy is quite fast; after going through the perfunctory procedures, the two people can take their seats.

"This is truly a rare sight. We're usually busy on holiday at this time," Yamaoka remarked with a wry smile.

"Two title matches are being held simultaneously, and from what I know, there are also many smaller tournaments and amateur competitions that have started. Some people have estimated that the total prize money for all the tournaments during this period exceeds one billion yen..." Narita analyzed.

"Ten billion?" Yamaoka was stunned.

“Even the Host Club Cup, which has been suspended for a long time, is going to be held again. Speaking of which, this is the only time I’ve ever won the championship. I might consider skipping the Dream Paradise Tournament and going back to where my dream started. Jingguang, are you interested in the Host Club Cup? Anyone who’s handsome can sign up,” Narita said.

"Ahem, well, let's forget about that!"

“That’s a real shame, but I have to warn you, there might really be some big changes coming up soon. We might really have to do what the shrine maiden said and avoid playing Go at night,” Narita said seriously.

Yamaoka nodded. Having worked in this industry for over a year, he increasingly understood how complex and murky things could be.

Narita is a regular member of the "patrol team" within the Go world, specifically tasked with identifying players who use cheating devices. He is essentially an internal police officer.

At times like this, you can only trust his keen intuition as a criminal investigator.

A chilly autumn breeze swept through the courtyard, making the hilltop shiver and unconsciously look towards the sky outside.

The sky was already the color of dusk.

......

......

On the afternoon of August 14th, the setting sun outside the window was a bloodthirsty blaze.

Ke Zhiguang gazed at the scenery from his balcony and felt that the world's style was gradually resembling that of the Otherworld.

I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but the twilights lately have all been this color, with an eerie quality to the light. It’s only mid-August, but the sky is getting dark much earlier than usual, and the twilight can last from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Tokyo has never been so dangerous.

"Hey, dinner's ready, come in and eat!" Harushima Shika called from inside the house.

"They're here, they're here."

After a few days at the chess academy, the two of them realized that there was no need to go there every day. They could complete their training and matches at home, and the efficiency was no worse than at the company.

Working from home, another life dream achieved.

Tonight's dinner is hamburger patties and braised pork with potatoes, a typical Japanese home-style dish, simple and cozy, as if made by a newlywed wife.

Hmm... something about this analogy feels off, but it also seems like there's nothing wrong with it.

"I'm starting to eat." Harushima Kashiwa held up her chopsticks horizontally and made a gesture of "hoping everyone is alright" by putting her hands together.

+1.

"Hey, what kind of nonsense is this 'add one'? So you can omit it like that?!"

"Copy and paste... Okay, okay, eat up, eat up, such delicious food will get cold if you don't eat it."

After dinner, they were going to start doing *that*.

It's just playing chess.

I'll start trying out the games tonight.

The moonlight fell upon the earth, bathing the city in fluorescent light. The dining table in the living room transformed into a chessboard, where Ke Zhiguang and Qingdao Lu sat facing each other.

The two men looked solemn, against the backdrop of the city night through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the balcony.

A few days ago, Xingjia told Ke Zhiguang that he could consider playing chess at night, which gave Ke Zhiguang a lot of courage.

“If we’re going to have a match, Long’er would be the best match. That way, even if we encounter danger, with the strength of two top-tier players, we should be able to resolve it successfully,” Xingjia said at the time.

Harushima Kashiwa also agreed with this approach. In her view, it was time to band together and form teams again, and she felt obligated to share some of the risks.

The two men stood silently facing each other at the chessboard, waiting for the right moment.

The alarm clock rang at eight o'clock.

“Deer,” Ke Zhiguang said solemnly.

"Yes!" Harushima Shika replied awkwardly, as if she had been called on by a teacher.

"If you feel pain... oops, if you feel anything unusual, you can stop at any time," Ke Zhiguang said.

"Yeah, you're the same... What the hell are you spewing, spew! Don't think I didn't hear what you said before you spat!" Harushima Shika shouted, her face red and her fist clenched.

Ah, this...

I never expected that using the word "呸" (pǐ, meaning spit) to get away with it would fail this time, even though it always worked before...

The nonsense ended, the game began, the pieces were placed, and the game world enveloped everything... Everything seemed no different from usual.

The game proceeded normally. Harujima Kashima's high-level Chinese opening strategy was a perfect match for the star point position that Koujima, who played white, typically used.

In the quiet world, the chess pieces slowly fell, just like any other day.

But as the number of moves increased, the remaining space on the board became smaller and smaller, and Ke Zhiguang finally sensed that something was wrong.

Something is approaching.

Like a frog being slowly boiled in water, it has been approaching this place since the first move was made, but because the water temperature is rising little by little, it was not noticed at first.

"Have you noticed the deer?" Ke Zhiguang asked.

"Yes, it's coming soon." Shizuka was a little nervous. This was the first time she had encountered such a strange thing, and she was both curious and afraid.

"Relaxation is not something terrible... Even if it is something terrible, it's a problem that can be solved with a game of chess. That's what I've learned over this period of time," Ke Zhiguang said.

As always, playing chess can solve all problems. As long as you hold this belief, even if death really comes, there's no need to panic.

There is nothing simpler than playing chess.

As long as it's not the kind of Shinigami that throws out Crescent Moon Slash.

Under pressure, both sides accelerated their moves, and the amount of calculation increased due to external stimuli. Before they knew it, their foreheads were covered in sweat.

With 150 hands, it's down to less than 50 meters.

170 hands, it might already be right outside the door.

Move 196 – all done.

With the last piece placed, the game world vanished. Shizuka wiped the sweat from her brow and looked around.

Nothing happened; it's already gone.

"Tch, nothing happened, but you've got me all flustered." Harushima Kashima gasped for breath, clutching her chest.

This basically confirms the existence of a crisis; you can definitely encounter these things when playing chess at night.

But why didn't it come directly to us?

Is it because they realized the two people they were playing against were too strong, and they felt they couldn't afford to mess with them?

It's also possible that this is just a matter of chance. Even if you play chess at night, there's only a certain probability of encountering strange things. After all, so many people play chess at night, it's impossible for everyone to have an accident, right?

The least likely answer is that there weren't enough players, so it simply didn't come.

All the mysteries are hidden in the darkness.

A black butterfly fluttered its wings and drifted leisurely across the night sky.